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7/31/13

The boy who wanted to mow

Wednesday is my Scentsy work day. For several hours during the day Eli goes to the babysitter and plays with all the kids and gets his "learn how to share and be nice to other kids so you aren't the mean kid on the playground" time and I furiously work on everything that I have put off since the last Wednesday.

Sometimes I go to a coffee shop, which I did this morning but then decided I wasn't getting much done and I knew One Tree Hill reruns were on TV so I headed back to Crazy Larry's house to watch some reruns and work on some emails.

Have I mentioned since we moved to the rent house I called and had ALL THE CHANNELS added to our cable package and I now get the Soap Network also known as THE MANNA OF TELEVISION.

Multiple HOURS of One Tree Hill and 90210? Just consider me a couch potato. And a loser.

I digress....

As I was typing and watching a pivotal Lucas/Petyon moment (that I've seen 500 times) I heard a soft "knock knock" on my door.

I opened the door and standing before me was a fairly disheveled little boy with overgrown bangs and a gap in his front teeth.

I was a little taken aback because I wasn't planning on it being a little boy at my door, but he quickly said "hello ma'am I was wondering if I could mow your lawn today for any amount, you could pay me $0 or $20 it's up to you"

Well, forget the mowing of the lawn, I immediately wanted to scoop him up and bring him inside and just talk to him all afternoon.

But that would be creepy. I looked at him trying to come up with an answer. I mean we do need our lawn mowed, horribly. The grass goes well past your ankles, but our lawn mower is in storage so that creates a problem.

As I was trying to figure out what to do because I didn't want to turn him away he conveniently mentioned that he was "extremely thirsty".

I went and got him water and we talked for a bit. I found out he was 10 and often pushes his lawn mower up and down the street asking people if he can mow their lawns. In the past he didn't bring his mower but it became too much trouble to go back home and get it. So he just brings it with him.

So there I stood outside in the heat talking to this 10 year old boy just catching up on life with him. He asked me again if he could mow our lawn, but then told me that he doesn't know how to mow the "sides" of the lawn so he only does the middle.

Due to the fact that our lawn is close to jungle length I thought that might look weird if only the middle was mowed. And then I saw sweat dripping down his head and all I could imagine was him passed out in my yard from heat stroke and me trying to explain to the police why a TEN YEAR OLD was mowing my lawn.

I was still wavering a bit until he asked me if the bush by our window was a weed that he could just mow over. I decided it would be best if junior here didn't mow our lawn today.

I told him he could step inside my front door for a second and I would get him some more water. I got him more water and then gave him the $3 that was in my wallet (my coffee money). And he said:

"Wow, nobody has ever given me money for not doing anything, thanks m'am you are the nicest person I've ever met"

And then he said:

"And you sure do have a nice house".

Let me tell you two things:

1. There is nothing nice about Crazy Larry's house
2. I am not the nicest person you've ever met

But he was so sweet I believed every word he said.

I sent him on his way and told him to come back and visit me. And then I went inside and wrapped myself in my shawl and rocked myself to sleep by the fire because apparently I'm a 95 year old lady who asks young children she doesn't know to come visit her.

I loved how it wasn't much for me to give that boy $3 (except I'll be cursing him tomorrow when I go to get my coffee and have no cash) and how it just made his day. A little act of kindness, I need to do it more.

And then about 3 hours later there was a "knock knock" on my door and it was another little boy asking if he could mow my yard.

I think the word got out that I pay boys to come to my door and do absolutely nothing.